Malawi Women's Groups Applaud Political Parties for Gender Equality Efforts
Maggie Kathewera Banda, NGO GCN Board Chairperson, and Thandi Mphwiyo, NGO GCN Women in Politics Committee Chair, signed the statement.
BLANTYRE, Malawi— Two prominent women's rights organizations in Malawi have commended the country's major political parties for their recent efforts to promote gender equality in leadership positions, writes Winston Mwale.
The Women's Manifesto Movement and NGO Gender Coordination Network (NGO GCN) praised the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for supporting female candidates during their recent party conventions.
In a statement released Thursday, the groups highlighted the MCP's election of Catherine Gotani Hara as its first female First Deputy President.
The DPP was recognized for electing several women to its National Governing Council, including Edna Manda as Deputy Secretary General.
Despite these advancements, the organizations noted that both parties fell short of the desired 50-50 gender ratio in their Central Executive Committees.
"As a Movement, we advocate for Political Parties to embrace the 50-50 campaign by promoting women's participation and influence," the statement read.
The groups called on other political parties preparing for conventions, including UTM, PP, UDF, AFORD, and PDP, to support women candidates and allow civil society organizations to observe their proceedings.
Maggie Kathewera Banda, NGO GCN Board Chairperson, and Thandi Mphwiyo, NGO GCN Women in Politics Committee Chair, signed the statement.
They urged all political parties to "institutionalize affirmative action including gender quotas" in their processes.
The organizations emphasized the importance of these efforts in light of Malawi's upcoming 2025 General Elections and the recently launched Political Empowerment of Women Strategy 2024-2030.
"We believe that by working together, we can build a nation where both women and men can equally contribute to the political, social, and economic development of our country," the statement concluded.